New ‘When Marnie Was There,’ Holdover ‘Dreams’ Solid – Specialty B.O.

As with the major movie box office this Memorial Day Weekend the specialty market was more sluggish than usual. GKIDS’ Japanese anime, When Marnie Was There, had the strongest showing with a $16,295 per theater average from a pair of locations in New York and L.A. Samuel Goldwyn’s The Farewell Party and Sony Pictures Classics’ Aloft grossed weaker numbers. One standout title over the holiday is Bleecker Street’s I’ll See You In My Dreams, which held solid after a small expansion, averaging per location $14,429 Friday to Monday.

GKIDS opened animated feature When Marnie Was There, the follow-up film from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, which produced this year’s Oscar-nominated The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya). When Marnie Was There grossed a solid $25,605 Friday to Sunday (4-day estimate $32,590), averaging $12,802 (3-day). That ranks the film atop its fellow limited release peers in terms of PTA, although it is shy of Princess Kaguya’s $18,305 opening weekend average ($54,915 in 3 theaters) when it opened last October. Still, it’s a good start for the title, which is based on the young-adult novel by Joan G. Robinson about two girls who form a connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. GKIDS will add Marnie bookings in a handful of cities May 29 followed by a more ambitious expansion June 5 into most of the top 40 markets.

Other newcomers were left in the shadows. Kino Lorber opened two films including Gueros, which played a single location grossing $6,500 Friday to Sunday. The title has cumed over $8K since opening Wednesday as of Sunday. The distributor’s Seeds Of Time also bowed with a single playdate, grossing $2K. Sony Classics’ Aloft opened in 2 L.A. and New York locations grossing an estimated $2,774 over the four-day holiday for a skinny $1,387 average. And Samuel Goldwyn Films’ The Farewell Party opened in two theaters, grossing $7,616 through Sunday, averaging a bit better with $3,808. The feature will open in L.A. June 5 and will roll out to 20 of the top 50 markets throughout June.

Bleecker Street is doing well with its second release, I’ll See You In My Dreams. The company added 23 runs, grossing $375,141 Friday to Monday, averaging $14,429 over the four days, giving the title the second best showing among specialty movies by PTA. Bleecker Street’s Jack Foley said this morning the averages “reflect the film’s successful national reception with its core audience.” It will continue expanding into June.

Fox Searchlight’s Far From The Madding Crowd is easily the highest grossing specialty title this weekend. The film grossed $2.95M over the four-day period from 865 runs, averaging a solid $3,410 in its fourth weekend. The title placed seventh in the overall box office, just below Warner Bros.’ Hot Pursuit and ahead of Universal’s Furious 7. Searchlight’s Frank Rodriguez noted today, “We are very happy with the results so far and will continue to play out the film … into the early part of the summer.”

A24’s Ex Machina landed 12th in the overall box office in its 7th frame. The thriller grossed an estimated $1.84M in 896 theaters, averaging just north of $2K. It has now cumed over $22.41M. And The Weinstein Company’s Woman In Gold placed 13th. The title grossed a four-day estimate of $1.144M in 662 theaters, averaging $1,728. The film handily crossed the $30M threshold in its 8th weekend of release.